Review: Fischer RC4 Worldcup SC

Model year: 2021-2022
Sidecut: 119-66-104
Size: 165
Radius: 13 m
Technology: wood core, full sidewall, two sheets of metal, full camber, tip hole

About this ski

Like the other RC4 Worldcup skis, the SC has been around forever. The recognizable hole in the tip and the tail that looks like someone has taken a bite out of it. Like its GS brother the RC, this consumer slalom version has been updated too. For the 2020-2021 season, Fischer has redesigned the ski with a slightly softer flex pattern in the tip. This makes it even more of a carving machine than it already was. But also less versatile, for it is almost unable to do anything else than that short carving turn.

Obviously, this SC has a much smaller radius than the RC. But other than that, the character (including weaknesses and strengths) is not very different from the consumer GS version. In this review, I will be focussing on other aspects of this new ski and comparing it to the ‘old’ 2019-2020 version, which I happen to own.

Cheaper feel

Apart from how they ski, the new SC has some striking differences compared to its predecessor. I want to stress that these differences will have no effect on the skiing itself, but they are striking nonetheless. 

The new top sheet, for example, has a mat, sandpaper-like texture. I am sure this is more resistant to little cuts and bumps, but it looks a bit cheaper, more ‘rental’, than the matte brushed high-end look of the 2020 version. The little bumper at the tail is now made out of plastic, instead of stainless steel in the old version. Overall, the finish seems to be less high-end. So, they look and feel a bit cheaper overall.

In conclusion

They made the SC look and feel a bit cheaper and easier to carve (but harder to do anything else on it). It is a trend moving away from pure performance (and versatility in this case). It is not serving ‘the masses’ (it has gotten softer, not necessarily easier to ski), but it is moving away from the true admirers.

Characteristics

PlayfulStable
ForgivingPunishing
LivelyDamp
SkiddingCarving
Low speedHigh speed
Short turnLong turn
Soft snowHard snow

6 comments on “Review: Fischer RC4 Worldcup SCAdd yours →

  1. Hi, did you try also the SC with MO Plate? Where are the diffrences between the MO and the “normal” SC and which ski is for which skier?
    Thanks

    1. I did try the one with M/O plate too, the SC Pro, as it’s called. The ski itself is the same, the difference is only in the M/O plate. The plate increases stability, rebound, and strength. So, for more aggressive skiers that want a ski that asks just a bit more of you but give a bit more back as well.

    1. That’s hard to answer if I don’t know the skier. But for this type of consumer SL skis, 165 is typical for men, 155 for women.

      1. Ja ik bedoel dan ook in verhouding tot je lichaamslengen.
        schouderhoogte, tussen schouder en kin, of even lang als je eigen lichaam, of zelfs hoger.
        Ik weet dat een SL ski normaal iets korter is, maar wat is de beste lengte in verhouding, voor deze ski.

        1. Slalom skis are the only category for which body height is not a reference. So, for an adult male, 165 is the standard. If you’re extremely big you can size up; if you’re relatively small/light, you can size down.

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